Repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms in patients with renal, iliac, or distal arterial occlusive disease

Abstract

Appropriate preoperative vascular assessment of patients presenting with aortic aneurysms and arterial occlusive disease is essential to obtain the optimal results from aneurysm repair. The renal arteries should be evaluated in patients with hypertension or renal dysfunction, and stenosis must be addressed when seen on arteriograms. Hemodynamically significant lesions are candidates for bypass concomitant with aortic replacement. The stump pressure of a patent inferior mesenteric artery should be assessed intraoperatively, and bypass or reimplantation should be performed if colon ischemia might result from internal mesenteric artery ligation. If vasculogenic impotence is suggested by preoperative studies, meticulous nerve-sparing dissection and revascularization of the internal iliac arteries may result in recovery of erectile function in some patients. In all cases of aneurysm repair, the hypogastric circulation must be maintained through either direct revascularization or bypass to major collateral arteries. Iliac occlusive disease may be evaluated with several modalities, including physical examination, noninvasive laboratory testing, arteriography, and the papaverine test, to determine whether critical or subcritical stenoses are present. Aortic bifurcation grafts should be used to construct the distal anastomoses beyond areas of significant disease. The extent of lower-extremity occlusive disease directly affects the long-term patency of aortic replacement, and diligent follow-up is necessary for timely intervention to maintain patency of vascular reconstructions.